Featured Image: Chinese products being burned by Amra Bangali activists in Siliguri on Friday.

By a Newsman

Siliguri, 21 July: AMRA Bangali, a political party that champions the rights of the Bengali community, has launched an agitation against Chinese products in Siliguri in north Bengal.

About 10-15 activists of the party gathered at the busy Sevoke More in Siliguri today noon and burned some China made toys, watches, electronic items, and clothes marking the beginning of the agitation against Chinese products.

The immediate trigger for their anger is China allegedly backing the agitating for a separate Gorkhaland state that is going-on in Darjeeling Hills nearly two months now. This is despite that there has been no official claim ~ be it from the state government or the Centre ~ about China’s role in the Hills unrest.

The banner that the Amra Bangali activists carried during the protest today read: “Boycott all products made by China ~ the country which is trying to harm the sovereignty of India.”

Interestingly, the popular Hong Kong Market off Hill Cart Road in Siliguri is famous for Chinese goods and offers the town very high volume of business. Local residents and tourists alike buy fancy goods, chocolates, and electronic items from there.

During the Deepavali last year, several BJP leaders and right-winged outfits had called for similar boycott of Chinese goods after China blocked India’s efforts to get Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief, Masood Azhar, designated as a terrorist by the United Nations.